Eden Prairie Schools Community Education
Family Resources Program Newsletter - March 2018
Spring has (technically) arrived! With the new season comes new opportunities to learn from one another and engage in our community. Please let me know if you have opportunities for others you would like to share.

Thank you,
Molly Patil
Family Resources Specialist
Eden Prairie Schools - Community Education
mpatil@edenpr.org 952.975.6942

PARENTS OF EDEN PRAIRIE (PEP) GROUP: 3.26.18
The next PEP session is this coming Monday, March 26th from 6:00 - 7:30 pm at the Education Center. Monthly sessions include professionally guided discussions, information, and effective parenting strategies for parents of children ages 3 - 16. Parents can join at any time, and registration is by each individual session ($14/person), but signing up for multiple sessions is encouraged to provide the most benefit. More information and registration at www.edenpr.org/epcommunityed .
HAPPY HOUR FOR HUNGER: 3.27.18
Piper’s (7942 Mitchell Road) is hosting a happy hour benefiting PROP food shelf on Tuesday, March 27th from 4:00 - 7:00 pm. Get a free drink with a freewill donation at the door to PROP. View the flyer for details.
WHAT KIDS KEEP TELLING ME & EAGLES’ STUDY HOUR: 3.27.18, 4.10.18, & 4.17.18
All parents/guardians of K-12 students are invited to this multi-session class that gives a glimpse of what motivates kids in our fast-paced, ever-changing society. This class takes place Tuesday nights from 6:00 - 7:30 pm at the Education Center. Free dinner, child care (birth - 5 care and K-12 Eagles’ Study Hour), interpretation, and transportation are available. Learn more and register at www.edenpr.org/freeparentclasses.
MYHEALTH DENTAL CLINIC: 3.28.18
myHealth for Teens & Young Adults in Hopkins is hosting a low-cost dental clinic for children, teens, young adults, and pregnant women on Wednesday, March 28th from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. Though Children's Dental Services accepts all forms of insurance, an income-based sliding fee scale will be used to determine costs. See the Dental Services Flyer for more details.
CHOICE INC. OPEN HOUSE: 4.5.18
Check out CHOICE, Inc.’s new building in Eden Prairie on Thursday, April 5th from 3:00 - 5:00 pm at 7600 Executive Drive. Enjoy refreshments and tour their new site, which serves as a place for community, learning, and growth for people with intellectual disabilities. RSVP at 952-474-9510.
MOVEFWD PARENT SUPPORT GROUP: 4.9.18
MoveFwd hosts a free, monthly Parent Support Group for anyone who is parenting a young person age 12-21. The April 9th session, which will be from 6:30 - 8:00 pm at MoveFwd in Hopkins, will focus on how to talk to your adolescent about sex, dating, and healthy relationships. For more information, view this flyer .
NAVIGATING THE SCHOOL SYSTEM PANEL PRESENTATION: 4.16.18
Do you have questions about how our schools work, but don’t know who to ask? Join us for a free panel presentation on Monday, April 16th from 5:30 – 7:00 pm at the Education Center to learn more about our public school system and what you can expect when you send your student to Eden Prairie Schools. Navigating the School System will provide a great opportunity to get your questions answered and access help navigating the system. Child care and transportation are available, but advance registration is required. Learn more and register at www.edenpr.org/epcommunityed
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION IN YOUR ORGANIZATION: 4.19.18
Learn about steps you can take now to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in your organization, including the board, and how the Charities Review Council’s DEI Toolkit can help. This free session (box dinner provided!) is geared to nonprofit leaders and managers, but may also be helpful to civic organizations looking to have more diverse membership. This training will be Thursday, April 19th from 4:00 - 5:30 pm, prior to the GIVE Gathering, at the Education Center. Learn more and sign up on the registration page .
GIVE GATHERING VOLUNTEER FAIR: 4.19.18
Join us for the second annual GIVE Gathering Thursday, April 19th from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at the Eden Prairie City Center Building. Community members can connect with local service and civic organizations and learn about volunteer opportunities. Additional activities include a service project, prize drawings, and a free nonprofit leader training (see above). Learn more at www.edenpr.org/GIVEgathering .
POWER OF 100 MEETING: 4.19.18
The next quarterly meeting of the Power of 100 Southwest ♥ Women Who Care group is Thursday, April 19th from 7:00 - 8:00 pm (with networking and social time beginning at 6:00 pm) at the Hilton Garden Inn in Eden Prairie. To date, over $120,000 has been donated to 12 local Minnesota nonprofits. Members nominate charities they are passionate about, three nominations are drawn out of the lucky Vase at each meeting where, after learning about each of the three nonprofits, members then cast their votes and write out a $100 check to the charity with the most votes. It’s fun, it’s simple, it’s impactful. Learn more by visiting their website .
FRIDAY FUN DAY & RESOURCE FAIR: 4.20.18
Join us Friday, April 20th from 5:00 - 7:00 pm for a night of free family fun at Little Eagles Preschool Lower Campus (8100 School Road) featuring a vehicle fair, games, open gym and playground access, face painting, food trucks, and more. Chat with local service providers and learn about a variety of different programs at the resource fair. All are welcome. Registration is NOT required. Visit Community Education’s website for more information.
CHOICE INC. FAMILY & FRIENDS ANNUAL FUNDRAISER: 4.22.18
The Family & Friends Fundraiser is an annual celebration of the accomplishments of CHOICE participants taking place on Sunday, April 22nd from 2:00 - 5:00 pm. It is also their largest fundraiser of the year, providing essential funds to support partnerships and programs for those with intellectual disabilities. Learn more or purchase tickets on the event’s registration website .
PARENT TECH WORKSHOP: SCHOOLOGY, CAMPUS, & ELEYO, OH MY! & EAGLES’ STUDY HOUR: 4.24.18
All Eden Prairie parents/guardians are invited to learn about the district’s technology systems and how to use them during this free class sponsored by the Title I Program on Tuesday, April 24th from 6:00 - 7:30 pm at the Education Center. This class will include some basic presentations on the systems parents need to know how to use, as well as time to set up accounts and practice using them on district laptops. Free dinner, child care (birth - 5 care and K-12 Eagles’ Study Hour), interpretation, and transportation are available. Learn more and register at www.edenpr.org/freeparentclasses .
EP GIVES FUNDRAISER: 4.28.18
The annual EP GIVES event, which raises funds for the Eden Prairie Community Foundation, will be on Saturday, April 28th from 6:00 – 11:30 pm at the Oak Ridge Hotel and Conference Center. More information and tickets are available at www.epcommunityfoundation.org .
PARTNERSHIP FOR A DRUG-FREE KIDS
April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and now is a great time to prepare for productive conversations about drugs and alcohol with kids of all ages. The Partnership for Drug-free Kids offers a free helpline and expert coaching. Call 1-855-378-4373 M-F 8 am - 4 pm to discuss your questions about youth drug or alcohol use. Live chat available nights and weekends. Learn the warning signs , learn about commonly used drugs , or view their Drug Prevention Tips for Every Age to learn how to talk about drugs and alcohol in an age appropriate way to build protective factors against substance abuse.
MENTAL HEALTH PD/TRAINING SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS
The Hennepin South Services Collaborative (HSSC) has training dollars available to support those who serve our community in attendending publicly announced and credentialed children’s mental health conferences or trainings. Award dollars can be used to pay for registration fees, but cannot be utilized for travel, lodging or food. Contact Curt Peterson, HSSC Coordinator, for more information at 612-998-7466 or curt@orgdev.org .
NEW COMPONENT TO FREE TITLE I PARENT CLASSES:
An exciting new element is being added to the free parent classes offered on Tuesday nights through the Eden Prairie Schools (EPS) Title I Program. Free childcare will now being broken into two components: one for those age 5 and under and one for those in grades K-12. The new Eagles’ Study Hour component will include one-on-one or small group academic support for K-12 students provided by the EPS Community Education Volunteer Program. Free dinner (pizza) is provided to the entire family, and interpretation and free transportation are also available. Upcoming parent classes include: What Kids Keep Telling Me, Parent Tech Workshop: Schoology, Campus, & Eleyo, Oh My!, Digital Citizenship for the 21st Century, EP Parent Toolkit, and Productive Summer Learning for Your Child. Learn more about these classes at www.edenpr.org/freeparentclasses . Please share with families who may benefit from these opportunities.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR EPHS REALITY FAIR
Volunteers are needed for the Test Drive...Next Stop Reality event on Thursday, April 26th, 2018. This reality fair provides EPHS students with the opportunity to explore their future careers and income possibilities and to gain a better understanding of some of the financial challenges that lie ahead of them. Throughout this event, students visit a total of 22 different stations (led by our great community volunteers!) to learn how different decisions impact your budget. Learn more and sign up to volunteer using this Sign-up Genius .
NONPROFITS INVITED TO TABLE AT GIVE GATHERING VOLUNTEER FAIR
The second annual GIVE Gathering will be Thursday, April 19th from 6:00 - 8:00 pm in the Heritage Rooms at the Eden Prairie City Center. This event will serve as a volunteer fair by connecting community members to volunteer opportunities. Eden Prairie nonprofits are invited to participate for free. Download a Table Vendor Form or contact EP Community Foundation Executive Director Mark Weber at mweber@epcommunityfoundation.org for more information.
HSSC GRANTEES PRESENT AT CEIC
Members of the Community Engagement Impact Council (CEIC) learned about some wonderful services provided to the Eden Prairie community through Hennepin South Family Services Collaborative (HSSC) grants to PROP, MoveFwd, and Cornerstone. HSSC funds are generated by the Local Collaborative Time Study (also known as the Random Moments Time Study). Learn more by viewing the meeting slides . Thank you to everyone who submits their random moments! Your reporting makes these grants possible!
Eden Prairie Schools | Community Education | 952.975.6940 |  ComEd@edenpr.org